After about a 10 year hiatus of taking classes, I’m back out going to other instructors. Between work and my own teaching schedule, I have been making excuses and not taking any classes that work hasn’t paid for. That’s been a couple of classes a year.

Now I’m back at it. I have one class with Fieldcraft Survival under my belt so far this year, and have two more scheduled.

This has led me to think about the guys that I have trained with that I learned the most from or that were just plain fun. I thought I’d share my thoughts on it.

In no particular order-

Pat Rogers. I took a couple of classes with Pat before his untimely passing. Pat was always a larger than life character who teaching style was always informative and fun. “You’re paying me a lot of money to teach you so how abouts you listen” he would always quip. To this day, a lot of my ingrained rifle doctrine is still from Pat.

Clint Smith. Clint is another larger than life personality. He and Heidi have a solid doctrine and despite his personality he was always very personable and grounded in his dealing with his students. We made several runs in the ahoothouse one day and he stopped for a minute and thanked me for taking his class. He was very gracious. I picked up a lot in his class, mainly that the students are all that matters.

Ernie Langdon. Ernie was the guy that set me on my path as both a student and instructor. I took a class from him 2002. He taught me to focus on all the stuff that matters and stay away from what doesn’t. His approach to shooting inspired me to train hard and put the work in.

Bruce Gray. This is probably saving the best for last. Bruce is really the guy that put it all together for me. “Solve marksmanship problems with marksmanship” he would tell me. While not an earth shattering revelation, it made me stop looking for short cuts in gear. I also was fortunate enough to learn much of my teaching style from him. He is a great teacher, friend and mentor.

Who are some of your favorites, or most influential in your path to being a better shooter?

Ken Hackathorn- A solid understanding of the material he was teaching, along with a large tool box of how to communicate. I've noticed too many instructors can only teach/communicate one way, and Ken was able to manage different information absorption rates with various students.

Jeff Gonzales- I met Jeff and took a few of his course after his Navy days and before GWOT. One of the final direct branches off of the Jeff Cooper-tree, Jeff I believed helped modernized firearm instruction, embracing some new methods and techniques, in an age when the 'old warhorses' of firearms training were starting to sunset.

Rob Latham- Quite the maestro with the 1911, learned a bunch from him as a comp shooter and a specialty instructor for that unit at Ft Bragg.

A bit dated now, but for me it was:

Jerry Barnhart

Bill Rodgers

I've taken a number of classes at Sig Sauer Academy and all their instructors I've worked with were excellent. Names such as Steve Gilcreast, Adam Painchaud, Scott Reidy, Dylan Kenneson, Kerry Davis, Todd Rassa, David Hinkell, Scott Ballard, Colin Murphy, and Harry Bologna.

That's also where I attended a few classes given by the guys from OpSpec Training: Bruce Gray and Jerry Jones.

I have had the chance to train with lots of good instructors over the last 35+ years, if I had to name my top 5 favorites it would be these guys (in no particular order).

Clint Smith
Scott Reitz
Louis Awerbuck
Phil Singleton
Bill Robnett

others that I have enjoyed training with are Jeff Cooper, Mas Ayoob, Jim Cirillo, Bill Rogers, Dennis Tueller, John Farnham, Ken Hackathorn, Larry Vickers, and David Bowie

John Benner, David Bowie, John Motil and Chris Wallace.

Although I have not been there for a class in 6 or 7 years, collectively, they have made me a better shooter.

Hands down: Bruce Gray and the OP, Jerry Jones.

^^^^

I'll echo that.

Marine scout sniper instructor Caylen W.

Bianchi Cup trophy winner and former Captain of the SIGarms shooting team, Bruce G.

My two favorites.



Trying to get my kids to go visit Clint S since he’s close by for a week.

I’ve done a little bit of training with a few other folks, but nobody in my experience has come close to the folks I’ve trained with at OpSpec, Jerry, Bruce, H. R., Doug, etc. It is goal of mine to get out there and sample some of the other folks listed also. Just gotta get out there and do it. Retirement sounds like a better idea every day.

Jim Cirillo

Army Special Forces Instructors at Jungle Warfare School.

OP plus:

Tom Givens
Lee Weems
Jamey Caldwell
Spencer Keepers
Caleb Causey
Steve Fisher
John Hearne
Chuck Haggard
John Correia
Massad Ayoob
The Late William Aprill
Scott Jedlinkski
Ed Monk
Tim Reedy

Force Science Institute: Bill Lewisnky, et al.

I'm sure I left someone out, but those stand out.

From above; Phil Singleton

There is a name from the distant past; veteran of the SAS and the Iranian Hostage Incident in London, 1980.

A true master of the MP5. I did a 48 hour class MP5 Instructors School with him in 1994. He took the students to a new level. Even the H&K Mp5 Instructors School was not as intense.

The late Louis Awerbuck.

While I never had a chance to take a class with him, one little lecture in a YT video changed my views on targets and practicing shooting human analog targets drawn from different aspects.



His point is where you want to place a shot on a human varies depending on how they are oriented to the shooter.



Face on is how 99.9999% of targets are drawn and used. Placing shots in the center of the chest makes sense, since the location of most of the major organs can be easily understood by the student.

But turn the target 90 degree to the shooter, and (1) the target takes on a wholly different shape, and (2) the best shot placement is not in the center of the target, but 3"-6" anterior to the the back's surface. Hit there, and you'll probably hit the spine, and if you hit someone's spine they are likely out of the fight then and there.

Since I learned his point, I have made my training and practice focus on shooting to hit the spine, irrespective of the angle of presentation.

Dave Spaulding. Pete Milionis. Kris Tonto Paranto. Dan Lombard.

Kudos to Scott Reitz & the two Kyle, DeFoor & Lamb. Norm Chandler, Jason Falla ~ Time well spent. Thank you guys

John Recnor, NRA Law Enforcement instructor for LEO Pistol/shotgun trainers.

Jimmy Blackburn and Danny Estes. Two of the coaches for the MO Army National Guard pistol team. Their help got me to progress from Marksman to Master in bullseye.

quote:

Originally posted by Bulldog7972:
Dan Lombard.

You must know about his balls shot.